What Will Sustain Rural Development: Is the Answer Blowing in the Wind?
On Wednesday, November 7, 2007, The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Consumer and Community Affairs division, in co-sponsorship with The Land Institute and the Chicago Botanic Garden, held a conference titled, “What Will Sustain Agriculture: Is the Answer Blowing in the Wind?” The conference was held at the Chicago Botanic Garden, located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Illinois.
This timely and interactive conference provided a forum to explore the opportunity for developing affordable, renewable wind power and the potential impact on our Midwestern rural economies. Wind power is not only a clean, renewable energy source, but also a potential factor in promoting sustainable economic growth in rural areas by keeping some energy dollars within local communities, and by creating well-paying, wind-industry jobs. Progress with other renewable sources of alternative energy, such as solar, ethanol, and hydroelectric, was also discussed.
The event featured nationally recognized practitioners and researchers who are working toward harnessing wind power as a meaningful energy resource, as well as a means to promote rural economic development. The topics discussed included:- Moving Toward a Renewable Rural Economy by Dr. Wes Jackson, President, The Land Institute
- With Abundant Renewable Choices – Where Will the Markets Be? by Walter V. Nasdeo, Director of Research/Head of Energy Technology, Ardour Capital Investments, LLC
- Will Wind Power America? by Larry Flowers, Wind Powering America National Technical Director, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
- Managing Climate Risk with Market-Based Tools by Jon A. Anda, President, Environmental Markets Network, and former Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley
- Technology Tools: The Importance of a Full Tool Box by Thomas S. Key, Technical Leuden Renewable and Hydro Power, Electric Power Research Institute
- Afternoon panel presentations and conversation on wind and rural economic development with Lisa Daniels from Windustry, Kate Gordon of the Apollo Alliance, and Howard Learner of the Environmental Law and Policy Center
